[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 64 (Tuesday, May 19, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   A TRIBUTE TO DR. MARJORIE SLAVENS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 19, 1998

  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to say a few 
words in tribute to an outstanding teacher, Dr. Marjorie Slavens, who 
after nearly 40 years in the teaching profession, has decided to 
retire.
  Dr. Slavens, who has been blind since a small child, has dedicated 
her life to teaching others. She is a Phi Beta Kappa from the 
University of Missouri at Columbia--holding both Bachelor of Arts and 
Master of Arts degrees. She earned her PH.D. from St. Louis University 
in St. Louis, MO. After graduating, Dr. Slavens began teaching Spanish 
in the Department of Modern Languages at Rockford College in Rockford, 
IL, and continued at this post for 33 years. During this period, 
student workers proudly assisted Dr. Slavens by taking attendance and 
proctoring tests, and tape-recording examinations for Slavens to grade.
  Dr. Slavens's unique teaching style has earned recognition. In 1987, 
Dr. Slavens received the Illinois Lieutenant Governor's Award for 
service to the foreign language teaching profession. The college also 
appointed her Director of Advising, and she published Rockford 
College's first Academic Advising Handbook. In 1989, she was awarded 
the Mary Ashby Cheek Award that recognized her as an Honorary Alumni of 
the college. In 1991, a committee composed of faculty, staff, and 
students selected Dr. Slavens to receive the Sears Foundation Award for 
teaching excellence and campus leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I am certain that the Members of the House will join me 
in congratulating Dr. Marjorie Slavens on a spectacular teaching 
career. As she prepares for her retirement and the enjoyment therein, 
Dr. Slavens will undoubtedly take pride in her legacy as one of the 
nation's most special educators.

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